Much of the refinery related research over the past 5-10 years has been directed at converting light naphtha streams that are too high in Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) for large volume use in gasoline, to higher molecular weight gasoline and diesel range compounds with lower RVP values. The desire for such capabilities continues to grow with downward pressure on gasoline RVP to reduce fugitive emissions into the atmosphere and as the use of ethanol in the gasoline pool increases.
The Reid Vapor Pressure is a measure of the vapor pressure of gasoline, volatile crude oils, and other volatile petroleum products determined at approximately 38° C. In the past decades, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed regulations controlling hydrocarbon emissions from fuel sources in order to reduce ground ozone levels. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from evaporative sources are a major source for the generation of this urban ozone. Thus, restrictions on light hydrocarbon streams become more and more stringent forcing the lightest components out of the available fuel pool. With increased ethanol blending, this problem will be exacerbated since blending ethanol requires a lower RVP base stock to achieve overall final fuel RVP specifications.
In 2012, about four hundred ninety thousand barrels per day of renewable fuels (mainly comprising ethanol) will be mandated. The use of ethanol in reformulated gasoline (RFG) will not be optional for many refiners as they will need to use it to achieve octane. If by 2012 all the gasoline pool is mandated to be RFG then the displaced C5 would further double assuming the required volume of renewables remains constant. In addition, these objectives must be met without negatively impacting other fuel parameters such as octane and distillation points.